


A small celebration RhysxOc

by Keelster361



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Atlas CEO Rhys, Borderlands: Borderlands 3, F/M, Hyperion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keelster361/pseuds/Keelster361
Summary: Mitzi, a former mechanic for Hyperion and an ex-child of helios stands in the elevator of the newly constructed Atlas. Her friend and co-worker Rhys has invited her up to his new office for a little celebration for their efforts and hard work. With the help of some wine and the lack of sleep, the conversation picks up about the future of Atlas and the future of their relationship.This is a fanfiction of my Oc Mitzi and her life! This is just a segment of her backstory!
Relationships: Rhys (Borderlands) & Original Female Character(s), Rhys (Borderlands)/Original Character(s), Rhys (Borderlands)/Reader
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone I hope you enjoy reading this! I haven't put Mitzi's back story up on here but if anyone would like to know about it then please let me know! Also sorry for any grammar mistakes etc I read it a number of times but my dyslexic is a butt.

Mitzi couldn't believe it. Tomorrow was the big day. The day the new and improved Atlas was officially 'open' for business. So much work had gone into this moment. The day where the first shipments were going out across the galaxies. It would be the first day for many things and for many people. A day for the history books. In celebration of this, there had been a party planned down in the main hall of Atlas HQ. Everyone who's anyone would be there. Workers, businessmen, sponsors. It was to be a party to remember and wow was she excited.   
But it wasn't just the opening of the HQ, there was also something else. Something that her friend had been so pumped about that he couldn't even sleep. The office of the CEO. Yes, the CEO office that Rhys had designed himself. This image he'd had since he was a child had finally become a reality. She'd watched him as he worked day and night to make this vision. He personally helped with the construction making sure every brick was correct. He was proud and rightly so.   
Sadly, as much as he wanted to, the office wouldn't be big enough for the party. Plus...there was the issue of the elevator. The elevator Mitzi was currently standing in.

Watching through the passing windows as she went further and further up, she couldn't help but feel some sort of pride. Knowing that all the hard work was finally paying off. Yet that feeling starts to waver the longer she stood there...how long was this dam thing? The sweet little melody that would chime in her ear was starting to become annoying and irritating. This was her first time going up here it wasn't exactly remaining an enjoyable experience. 

Rhys had personally asked Mitzi to come to visit him once she'd finished with work. He was so excited to show this new office that she couldn't say no. As much as she'd prefer to go home and crawl into bed. For not only was it 10 pm, her ginger hair was messy and she had smears of oil and dirt still on her face from doing the last few checks on the space ships for tomorrow's journey. Not only that but she'd not even had time to change out of her 'work' clothes. Consisting of red coveralls with the top half wrapped around her waist and a black tank top. Not exactly the kind of outfit you'd go see your future boss in. It wouldn't be the first time he'd met with her looking like this and probably wouldn't be the last. 

DING-Top floor CEO's office.

Mitzi sticks her head out of the elevator only to be welcomed to darkness. "Rhys?" she says, looking around. The doors start to close and she swiftly jumps out. Without a response, the ginger-haired women decided to start walking. The room was huge or at least huge for an office. The ceilings were so high that she couldn't actually see the top it was so dark. There wasn't anyone at reception nor anyone to be seen at all. She kept walking down long corridors. Then there was the matter of the fishtanks...the very very large fish tanks. As she walked between them she glanced in at the fish and fauna that floated happily...yeah he'd mentioned the fish tanks before...Mitzi seriously thought he was joking.   
"Rhys you here?" She says again with a frown, "I-" Mitzi stops, noticing the huge windows at the end of the room. Lectra city glistened brightly, it looked beautiful but it didn't explain why the room was in darkness. Did he already go home for the night? Seeing the place so quiet and dark was kind of creepy...A disappointed sigh escapes her lips, might as well go home. The woman goes to leave but suddenly she stops mind turn. It felt like...someone was behind her.  
"Boo," says a voice quietly but it was enough to make her jump and turn to slap Rhys in one sweeping motion, "OUCH, Ooooow, okay yeah I deserved that" he pouted and rubbed his now red face.  
"What the hell dude?!" She yells, her voice breaking a little.   
"S-sorry I saw the elevator coming up and I assumed it was you and then I turned off the lights and well...I thought it would be funny" he admits playing with his hands.   
"Well, it wasn't." Mitzi frown taking a step back from him.   
"N-noted..." He takes his cybernetic arm and turns the lights on dimly so they could see. 

He started to walk over to this desk. Once Mitzi's eyes had adjusted to the new light she could see that he was wearing a new suit. It was smart with a red tie...or at least as smart as Rhys got. She'd been so used to him being in that black suit he'd worn back down on Pandora or just some slacks when he'd been stuck behind his laptop for hours at their old apartment. Rhys shaped up nicely, or at least Mitzi thought so. A small smile found its way on her lips and she watched him, already forgetting about the fact he'd scared the shit out of her.   
Rhys turns to look at her but notices the staring and tilts his head, "Is something the matter, Mitzi?"   
"Huh, oh no, no I just.." she clears her throat and follows him, "You wanted to see me?"   
".....OH YES RIGHT!" He grins, taking her hand and pulling her over to his desk, she gives a small yelp and allows him to drag her over, "I know the party is tomorrow buuuuuuut" He stops at his desk and goes behind it, pulling out two paper bags, "I thought maybe we could have a party of our own. Y'know a celebration of all of our hard work and maybe give you a tour of my new office" He gave a sheepish smile.   
Mitzi blinks, "w-what's in the bags?"   
He sighs, "Just some take out food...I um...spent all of the allowances on the food for tomorrow but I did get this!" He reaches down and produces two wine glasses and a bottle of wine to boot.  
"Wow, how classy" She smirks.  
Rhys looks actually disappointed at that comment. He'd had to actually sneak this bottle of wine up with him under his jacket. He was the CEO but not even he wanted to just take things that were for his guests but what was one bottle of red wine? It's not like it was the best they had or anything...actually he'd not even checked, he just picked up the closest one.   
"Actually I'll have you know this is the fines-" His words where cut off by the sound of his echo com ringing. With a few startled blinks between the two, Rhys puts down the wine and brings up his mechanical arm to see who was calling him, "-shoot I gotta get this. Give me a moment"   
"Right" Mitzi nods.   
Rhys gives a smile before answering his call. In the meantime, Mitzi decides to give herself a tour of the office. 

For the most part, the office was quite basic. But Rhys insisted to her that it was going to be state of the art with hidden and cool tech but all she could see was a number of couches placed here and there with some bookcases that reached up to the height to of the windows. And a few doors that lead to goodness knows where. Rhys had requested his own little workshop to work on prototypes so she assumed that's where one room leads too. Then aside from a few plants and various items, there wasn't anything near as extravagant as she'd imagined. Then he was always the humble type. He never wanted any statues of fountains, just somewhere he could work and do what he had to do. Well, aside from the fish but he said that was a therapeutic thing. As Mitzi stood watching the fish she looked back over at Rhys, he was walking up and down beside the massive windows that overlooked the city. The view was the one thing money couldn't buy. The city lights twinkled like stars in the sky, a few ships zooming past now and again. It didn't beat the view you'd get from sleeping under the stars on Pandora or looking down on Elpis from Helios but well it was home now and had been for 4 whole years.  
"-Sorry about that." Rhys says as his saunters over, "I swear these people have no concept of time. I've had them call me at 2 in the morning before." He huffs and rests his hands on his hips, giving a tiny smile as he watched his friend. "Now what where we talking about?   
"You were telling me about how you'd snuck a very expensive bottle of wine up into your office like some kind of naughty schoolboy" She joked.  
"Hey I might be the CEO but even I can get in trouble" He chuckled, walking her back over to his desk, "Now how about that dinner? I don't know about you but I'm starving"   
"God please, I was about ready to eat one of those fish in that tank."


	2. Chapter 2

With Mitzi sitting on the desk and Rhys on his chair, they happily ate the cheap takeaway meal and sipped on their wine...well it was more drinking it like water for Mitzi-Rhys had noticed but decided not to pry, they were celebrating after all. They talked about their day, how Mitzi had nearly broken the elevator already and Rhys told a story that he'd actually gotten stuck in it the first time and had to wait two hours to be rescued. The topic of tomorrow's party had both of them buzzing with excitement. For the first time, they were gonna be able to let loose and enjoy themselves without worrying about deadlines or meetings the day after.  
"So, I guess after tomorrow I'll have to start calling you boss, ay?" Mitzi half-joked as she finished her food.   
Rhys let out a chuckle, "Maybe around the newbies yeah but you can still call me Rhys, we are friends after all. Besides...it kinda feels weird hearing you say that"   
"Weird how?" She tilted her head,   
"Doh well" He blushes a little and sipped his wine "Probably best we don't talk about that"   
The woman frowns and throws her last fry at him, "If its what I think it is-which knowing you it probably is-I'm never calling you boss"   
He pouts "Awh not even once?"   
"Don't give me that puppy dog eye shite, you know it doesn't work on me" She exclaims, "At least not anymore"   
"Alright, fine, fine" He slumps in his chair defeated. 

Mitzi had missed this banter. Ever since Rhys had moved out of their shared apartment, she'd not really gotten time to hang out with him. Both of them being so busy in different parts of the city meant that there hadn't been time for this. So these moments, albeit fleeting were some of her favorites. The two of them continued to drink the wine and chat, their conversations getting stranger and louder as the alcohol started to set in. Rhys wasn't much of a drinker so the wine was most certainly hitting him harder than the other. His cheeks had a rosy glow to them and he'd started to become a lot more giggly. While Mitzi on the other hand was only a little tipsy and almost wishing he'd snuck another bottle up here with him.   
"So, Rhysie" She started looking at him with a smirk, "What can this office do that's so state of the art then?"   
Rhys looked up at her from his chair, a smirk being reflected back at her, "Oh it can do sooooooo much stuff" He exclaims, "Like, I can make the lights do anything I want, annnnd ooh there's a secret trap door under my desk but shhhhhhhh don't tell anyone, okay?" His finger goes up to his lips and he giggles.   
"I won't tell a soul" Mitzi giggles back. "What else?"   
"What else...hmm I have a number of functions tied in with my echo implants meaning I don't even need to leave my desk if I don't want to"   
"That just sounds lazy"   
"It's not lazy it's practical" He pouts, "Oh there's also-"   
Once again, his com goes off. He looks down at his hand once again but his time his face goes sheet white, "ohmygod its the party planner"   
Mitzi tilts her head, "So?"   
"S-she knows....she knows I stole the wine oh crap oh shit" The drunken man starts to panic, "That wine probably cost a baggilion dollars"   
"That stuff did not cost a bagg-whatever you said, just don't answer her Rhys, it's fine"   
"Heeeeeeeeeeeey what's up," Rhys says in his absolute best tone he could without sounding drunk. He'd answered the phone. Mitzi frowns as she watches. "...G-gone missing but how could that happen?.....uhuh....mmhmm....yes I see I see" He continues as Mitz sits there trying not to giggle. "Came all the way from Eden-5 you say? One of the finest wines? Well, maybe one of the men or-" Rhys looks like he's about to cry because he didn't know what to do.   
"pssssst say your cat is throwing up" Mitzi whispered to him   
"But I don't own a cat" he hisses back  
"They don't know that"   
His two-toned eyes look at her then back up at his earpiece then back at Mitzi again..."...Oh crap sorry, I gotta go my...my CAT is THROWING UP Oh god its everywhere okay bye!!" There is a voice on the echo but it's cut off as he hung up.  
Then there was a silence between. As they both look at each other, small smiles creep upon their faces, the smiles turn into grins then into giggles then into full-on laughter that echoed the whole office. The laughter goes on for a solid 5 minutes. Mitzi nearly falling off the desk in the process only making them laugh even more. 

Eventually, the laughter subsides and the two of them take deep breaths as they regain their composure.   
The male suddenly perked up, "Oh hey there's one other thing I forgot to show you" He lifted his cyber arm up and started working on something that Mitzi couldn't see. She waited patiently, finishing the rest of her wine. Suddenly the room was filled up with music and Rhys looked over at her with a smug smile.   
"Oh nice" She chuckled, "Just remember not to blast Digby Vermouth when you have a meeting"   
"What like this?" The music suddenly changes to that all too familiar saxophone and catchy beat.  
Mitzi rolls her eyes, "How drunk are you exactly?"   
"Drunk enough to do this-" He jumps up from his chair, staggering a little and grabbing the woman by the arms, and dragging her into the middle of the room to dance. She protests and giggles but Rhys refuses to let her leave. His dancing was...interesting. The only way Mitzi could describe it was dad dancing but...worse? Still, it didn't stop her from joining in. Both of them laughing as they danced drunkenly out of time to the beat. Rhys would spin her around to which she'd nearly fall over but they didn't care. This was the definition of dancing like no one was watching. This continued for a while. They'd stop and drink some more wine and chat before another song would pick up and it started again. It really felt like back in the old days when Mitzi was at college. The parties on Helios were wild and she lived for them. She was known to be quite the party animal and a wild one at that. Maybe it was due to her 'psycho blood' that she had this 'I don't give a shit' attitude once she got alcohol in her.  
Or at least she did until everything in her life changed. After the fall of helios and everyone she knew had died...alcohol had never tasted the same. It felt bitter and stale. She'd spend a lot of her time at Moxxies on Pandora, she started to get more angry and violent if she was lone to which she normally was. The times when she drank with others it grounded her. Much like right now. Actually, this was the most grounded she'd felt while having it in her system since...a very long time.   
As the music died down, Mitzi found herself staring at Rhys with a smile. He really did help her, didn't he? In his own strange Rhys way.   
The next song starts up, this time it was a slower more 'sophisticated' song. Rhys cleared his throat and extended his hand,  
"Care to dance?"


	3. chapter 3

Rhys wrapped his arms around her waist, rocking back and forth in time with the music. Mitzi giggles his name as she watched his goofy grin. Her hands managed to find her way around his neck but only just. They moved in tandem a few chuckles slowly dye down into nothingness as they get lost in the music. The CEO watched as his tipsy friend's eyes closed and she slipped into the moment. He couldn't help but smile at her. Noticing all those features he oh so liked about her. Actually she was all he could see at this moment. The lights from the city reflected around them becoming nothing but a blur of hues red and blue. The music becoming none existent. Or maybe it was just the wine taking over.

Rhys never intended tonight to go the way it did. He expected them just to have a nice quiet meal and a drink or two. It would be just the same as it was when they lived together. That's all he'd wanted really. To have her company again. Not for them to get drunk and to dance around like idiots but, hell, did he need this. He'd been so stressed and worried about the upcoming days that he'd almost forgotten what it was like to have fun.   
She looked so beautiful. Those ginger locks of hers looked just as messy as when she would wake up on a morning and come make them both coffee. He'd missed that. Not getting coffee made for him but more so seeing her in the morning, giving her usual grumpy but sweet smile as she passed him his coffee. Although she was hyperactive and upbeat most of the time, she was always just that little bit more reserved and calmer in the mornings, making the occasional swear at Rhys as he teased her. Although he was just as grumpy in the morning. The fact that in these five years, she'd really come out of her shell. From this woman who'd lost everything with the fall of Helios, so messed up and scared. Not wanting to become close to anyone to this ray of awkward sunshine. There were still moments, she'd find herself feeling lost or having nightmares. Or those 'episodes'...her bandit blood sometimes made its self known but it wasn't something neither of them couldn't handle. Honestly, all these things about her just made her perfect in her own way. This child of Helios, oh how he'd found himself smitten by her. If only he'd been brave enough to admit it. 

"Hey..." Rhys starts,   
Mitzi doesn't move from her position, "hmm?" her cheeks were red from the alcohol and dancing.  
"My offer still stands, y'know? Just say the word and I can have you working up here with me. Any position you want...and by that, I mean position in the corporate sense like a PA or...I'm just gonna stop talking"   
Mitzi huffs but a tiny smile creeps on her face, "Rhys...you know that I don't belong up here"   
"What?" The CEO stops dancing, making her stumble a little, her eyes flashing up at him, "Mitzi" Rhys grabs her by the hands and leads her through his office and out into the balcony and into the freezing cold air of the planet. Both of them laugh and swear under their breath as the cold picks at their skin. Rhys moves Mitzi in front of him, his hands slapping down on her shoulders. The metal one hurt a little and she hisses, he apologized before giving them a rub. Both stare out into the city. She was more than startled by this sudden confidence of him, he was being a lot more touchy than usual. The wine really helped, didn't it?   
Rhys's voice went low and quieter, "Look at this...we made all of this happen."   
She frowns, "No we didn't we only helped build this part" She points her finger down at the rest of the Atlas HQ.   
"O-okay okay fine but you get my point" He pouts. "We made all of that happen. We worked hard for this and you're telling me you don't belong up here with me?"   
"Yes, Rhys. Because I'm not an accountant or some kind of tech wizard...I don't know about meetings or even the correct way to shake some bigwig's hands and don't tell me a handshake isn't important, I know it is, I saw it in that stupid 'how to be a CEO' video you where watching"   
"Oh craps you saw that thing?"  
"Dude you fell asleep watching it, I think I learned more than you did" She snorts before sighing and going back to the matter at hand,  
"I'm just an ex-Hyperion mechanic who has a knack for guns and ships...guess you can add a bandit and psycho to that list too..." Mitzi sighs again.  
"So? That doesn't mean you can't learn? Do I have to be a CEO before I can become one? No, but I'm learning to be one. Granted I've always wanted to be one and also have trained for this my whole life but that's beside the point." Rhys looks down at her with a tiny smile   
"My point is that just because you don't know these things doesn't mean that you can't...." He rested his head on the top of hers, and his hands slip around her stomach.   
Mitzi's eyes found an interesting spot down on the floor as her cheeks felt on fire. He made it sound so easy like she could just suddenly have the career change and become this thing she'd never been.  
This was the first time they'd even spoken properly about this situation. And it just had to be when they were drunk. Every time it was brought up, Mitzi would brush it off and tell him they'd talk about it later or she'd make jokes about if she was his PA that she would just be his coffee girl. Honestly, she always thought he was joking about it. In fact, she'd never expected anything from him. He promised to give her a better life and he was but she didn't want an extravagant one, just one that was safe and normal. A life working by her (best) friend's side? An opportunity to climb the ranks and to have more money then she could ever have imagined? Anyone would take that without question but deep down she always knew she'd never stay here. Rhys had promised to find her father and when he did, she was going to go to him. After that, she'd not really thought about but if she tied herself down like this, it would make it just that bit harder to leave. 

"Look, I know, it's a lot for me to ask, especially after I've asked so much of you already" Rhys adds, "So it's okay if you don't want to...it's just...I can't guarantee that-"  
"-That we won't be able to hang out as much, I know, I know" Mitzi finished the sentence. "I've known this since the day you moved out of ou-my apartment. Actually I knew that all along." The man watched as her awkward and cheery demeanor changed into something more serious. She hugged herself close.   
That being said. The thought of leaving him...that was already hard. This crush she'd had on him had been going on for years. But that would also mean she couldn't leave, right? If she accepted these feelings. Plus he'd never made a move neither so the woman wasn't even sure if the feelings were mutual. They'd joke, and flirt, occasionally fall asleep on the couch together but it never went further than that. Rhys would always end up getting a work call or would fall asleep. But maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Hell, tonight was the most contact they'd ever had.

"It doesn't mean we can't hang out of course but I'll certainly be a lot busier and I doubt I'll have a lot of time to come and check on you or just hang out...but I'll make as much time as I possibly can, m-maybe we could do this more often or you could even move in with-"  
"Rhys-" Mitzi's voice was cut off once again with that same horrible echo tone from before. She glares at Rhys's cyber-arm and then back up at him. He gave a small sigh and looked at his echo-comm, "...I gotta get this, sorry"   
"Can't you just ignore it" She gave a tiny, forced laugh.   
"No, it's the party planner for tomorrow again, she's probably figured out the wine and is pissed off and...it's important I need to take it" he sighed, answering the phone with a very drunken 'heyyyyy'  
'Make as much time as possible for me, huh?' the woman muttered to herself. "Yeah of course you do-look I'm just gonna go, it's late, thanks for the night Rhys" She turns on her heels and makes for the door. Her heart ached and she knew it wasn't the wine. For once they were finally talking about things, having conversations that both had been too afraid to talk about, and once again it was interrupted by the pending future. This is what his life would be now. Phone calls, meetings, there wouldn't be much time for anything else. Mitzi knew this was going to happen but she'd at least hoped for one last night with no interruptions.   
"Mitzi..." Rhys muttered, watching her leave. He looked to his echo com and then back at the woman. "Dammit you're such an idiot' he muttered. The person on the com started shouting at him, making him jump "N-no not you-look I gotta go, this can wait until the morning, I'm busy" Before the person could respond, he hung up and switched off his echo com.   
He looks down at his hands for a moment. This was one of the moments they have in movies right? Where the guy runs over and catches the girl before she leaves and they confess their love to one another? Rhys had admittedly watched a lot of movies as background noise while he worked on prototypes. But that didn't mean he was good at this, he'd never been good at this. But with the mixture of tiredness and wine inside him, he had to do something and he was gonna do it "Mitzi? Mitzi wait-" Like clockwork, the man catches her arm and stops her from going,

"What Rhys!?" The ginger snaps as her head turn to him.  
Without even thinking, Rhys pulls her close and kisses her. It wasn't tender, not as he'd hoped it would be. It was sloppy and messy and probably a mistake but...today was riddled with mistakes. His hand runs through her hair as he tried to savor every moment of it but it doesn't last. Mitzi pulls away from him and she raises her hand as she goes to slap him but she stops herself. Her hand balling into a fist. She gives another huge sigh and starts to walk away again. Tears welling up in her eyes   
"P-please Mitzi...Maria, listen to me....stay with me" He knew how pathetic it sounded but his drunken state didn't care.   
She twists her head around to him with tears rolling down her cheeks. He looked at her with such pitty and sorrow like he wanted to cry just as much as she currently was. "Even if its just one night" he admits, looking away. "Maria...I've had this lame crush on you for like ever" He admits with some drunken confidence, "I'm just too much of a loser to say anything to you because I know that you've been through a lot and, well, maybe you didn't feel the same since I was the whole reason your life went to shit. Look I know things are going to be complicated and rough but maybe just for one night, we can forget about the future, about Atlas..." 

Mitzi stared. Watching as the city lights danced around him like fireflies, his echo eye glowed faintly as he gave a warm smile at her. She sighed, "Why?" her eye twitched a little as tears rolled down her eyes, "Why should I give in to these feelings when I know It can't ever be anything? You're Rhys Strongfork, CEO of Atlas. The King and this is your kingdom..."  
Rhys looked at her with sad eyes, "You really think that?"   
She wasn't sure how to react to any of what he just said. Her first name (which he never, ever used), the confessions. He really did like her all this time? It wasn't just her imagination? Then why didn't she feel happy? This is supposed to be the time where you're happy. But it hurt her. She'd forgiven him about the fall of Helios years ago. But this was going to break her heart. Letting herself get close to someone that was surely going to be taken away from her again because their work was far more important. She nods.  
"Well. You're Mitzi Lynn, the Captain of the Atlas ship fleet. The co-founder of this company whether you like it or not and you're one of my best friends and that's never gonna change" His hands reach out and take hers, "No matter how far apart we get or the closer we become I'm not going anywhere, I promise"   
"Don't make promises you can't keep" the ginger sighed.   
"Hey" Mitzi felt the cold metal of Rhys's robotic fingers tilt her chin up so she looked at him. Her eyes look away at first but with the second "Hey" she looks to him. A few tears still escaping her to which he brushes away with his flesh hand. "Do you remember that night all those years ago when you opened up to me for the first time? You made us hot cocoa and we ended up falling asleep on the couch together?"   
"Yeah..."   
"There was something I realized that day...I don't think I quite understood it until just now" He continued, looking out at the city.  
"W-what was it?" She stuttered.  
"That we met for a reason. Maybe it wasn't for a big reason but honestly, Mitzi, if it weren't for you, I don't think I would be standing where I am right now. I needed you"   
"Rhys..." she started, "Come on you know that's not true. Everyone loves you here, from your charming demeanor and your amazing brain of yours, hell you even look the part of CEO, you always have. I just helped you now and again, I'm sure things would've turned out the same if I'd stayed on Pandora.."   
"Sure, maybe I would've made it here regardless but..." Rhys looks back down at her, "I thought of giving up so many times. Again and again, something went wrong like the ratch infestations, the bandits, the fact that a whole building exploded. But you were always there for me to help and your enthusiasm and determination is what's kept me going" He stops, his face a shade of pink. His heart was racing but he tried to keep himself composed, "I-I-I just wanted to thank you, for everything"   
She didn't reply. Honestly, she wasn't sure how too. Mitzi was still very reserved about her feelings and even though she was close to Rhys she kept stopping herself from falling for him. It had been so hard, fighting constantly as all she could think about was him. This guy who'd essentially saved her from descending into the madness of losing everything. He was her rock. She was just too scared to admit that.  
"You don't need to thank me...you where the one who saved me, remember?" Mitzi said eventually. "You gave me this second chance at life."   
"Right...right" He trails off. "I just can't help but feel like there's something more here..."   
She frowned again  
"From the look on your face, I guess it's pretty clear that I've gotten the wrong idea here..." Rhys looks away, "sorry for kissing you, I guess wine makes me stupid"   
"You're always stupid, Rhys" Mitzi sniffed and gave a small laugh, "And no, don't apologize. I'm just sorry for not knowing what I want. Or at least I know what I want but I'm scared to have it..."   
He nods, "Then why don't you have it, just for tonight. Give into it. We're drunk, sleep-deprived, and have to start our new lives tomorrow. Whatever happens after tonight, we'll let fate decide?"   
There was a long pause. Her green eyes shined in the light as she thought about the situation. Suddenly, the music from inside the office picks up again, loud enough that they could hear it from the balcony-totally not Rhys's fault. Mitzi looks over at the sound then back at Rhys, who smiled back at her. One night, yeah, she could do that.   
"You're drunk Rhys. I'm only tipsy, you're such a lightweight" She chuckled, her hands wrapping around his neck once again.   
"I don't quite think its the wine that's making me like this" He smirks, wrapping his arms around her and they start to sway again.   
"Oh my god never say that again" She laughed, "Why are you like this, boss?"   
The CEO gasps, "You said it!   
"Said what-Oh crap" Her cheeks flush pink, "That was the one and only time I'm calling you boss"   
"Mmmhmm" He hums, pulling her into a full-on hug as they dance. "Expect you just called me it again" His body shook hers as he giggled.  
"....fuck" She growled as her head lifted from his shoulder, "you planned this didn't you?" a small pout appeared on her face. Rhys looked down at her with soft and happy eyes, "Don't look at me like that"   
"Why not" She frowned   
"Because it's extremely adorable? And I already nearly got slapped for kissing you, I doubt I'd be so lucky next time" He smiled.   
"Why don't you find out?" The woman smirked at him, making Rhys blink in shock of her sudden confidence.   
"ohmygod okay" He muttered as he got the hint. His hand reaches up to her cheek and he leans down enough that their lips were just a hair apart, he goes to say something but is blocked as Mitzi makes her move. This time, it wasn't sloppy or messy. This time the kiss was perfect. It was what both of them had hoped for, longed for. There were no worries, no cares, no Atlas.  
There were just two people, lost in the moment.


End file.
